Painful Regrets
by ananova
Summary: A certain kitsune learns that actions have consequences, while Inuyasha and Kagome discuss regret.
1. Set the World on Fire

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I don't own them and make no money from this.

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><p>Author's note: This first chapter was originally posted to The Inuyasha Fanfic Contest on livejournal on January 10, 2012 for prompt #271 Aflame. It came in at 249 words. This is an expanded version, as I used it and a couple of other entries to tell a story.<p>

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><p>The small figure carefully and quietly approached his unsuspecting prey, careful not to disturb the girl still sleeping on the ground. Deciding he was close enough for his attack to reach it's target, he stopped and released his magic.<p>

"Kitsune-B!"

The shout rang through the air, accompanied by a flash of green fire. But the target was prepared and leaped out of the way. Snarling, the enraged hanyou moved to intercept the little youkai.

But as Inuyasha's hands were nearly in reach he saw the horror reflected in the green eyes, horror not at his apparent fate but on something behind the hanyou. At the same time his ears twitched, instantly recognizing the voice that was beginning to scream. Inuyasha whirled around, and the kitsune was instantly forgotten at the sight before him.

Kagome, having awoken at the shout and ensuing growls, was frantically trying to free herself from her sleeping bag which had been set aflame by Shippou's foxfire. Suddenly a heavy weight landed on top of her. "Oomph," she groaned as her eyes locked onto Inuyasha lying on top of her, trying to smother the flames. "Wha-," she started to say, then they were rolling as the hanyou worked quickly to ensure that all of the flames were out.

Inuyasha worked frantically, well-protected from the flames by his fire-rat haori. But he knew the girl beneath him lacked the same protection. He paid no attention to his surroundings, his whole being concentrated on smothering the flames before Kagome could be harmed.

Once all of the flames were gone, Inuyasha stopped his frantic movements and just laid there, staring into Kagome's eyes. "You alright?" he asked, one hand grasping the remains of her sleeping bag and preparing to rip it open to check her for injuries.

She nodded but before she could reply another voice cut in.

"Are we interrupting?" Miroku asked, a lecherous gleam in his eyes as he stared down at the two of them, a blushing Sango beside him. Suddenly the sleeping bag wasn't the only thing in danger of being set aflame as two faces instantly reddened, their owners suddenly aware of what their position looked like with Inuyasha lying directly atop of a prone Kagome.


	2. Ashes of Regret

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I don't own them and make no money from this.

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><p>Author's note: This chapter was originally posted to IB4Y on livejournal on January 16, 2012 for I-Prompt 15B. It came in at exactly 500 words and won 3rd place. Like the previous chapter, this is an expanded version.<p>

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><p>Inuyasha quickly leaped up as Kagome tried to extricate herself from the remains of her sleeping bag, both stuttering out denials and proclamations of innocence to their amused friends. None of the four noticed as an upset kitsune hesitantly made his way to stand before the miko until he spoke.<p>

"K-Kagome, I'm s-so s-sorry!" he managed before bursting into tears and moving to throw himself into her arms. He never made it as a red clad arm intercepted him, bringing him face to face with an enraged hanyou.

"You little bastard! Kagome coulda been hurt! I oughta-!"

"That's enough Inuyasha!" Kagome said, taking the sobbing kitsune from him. "It's okay Shippou-chan. I'm alright." She rubbed his back as he began to calm down.

Sango and Miroku exchanged a look at the interaction, each knowing they had missed something. Deciding not to interfere just yet, they allowed themselves to fade into the background and listen in to learn more.

"It's not alright wench! He-!" Inuyasha cut himself off at her glare, settling for crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the kitsune she held.

Satisfied with his response, Kagome turned her full attention to soothing Shippou. He looked up at her wide-eyed as he finally calmed. "You're not mad?"

"No, I'm not mad." Seeing the relief in his eyes, followed by jubilation she had to continue. "However, I am extremely disappointed."

Shippou lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry Kagome, I never meant to put you in danger."

"I know but you have to realize that your actions have consequences. And why were you throwing your foxfire around to begin with?" She gave him a stern look. "I want you to stay here and think about what you did and what could have happened. Whether to me **or** Inuyasha **if** you had managed to hit him." Kagome set him down and watched as he dejectedly made his way to the others.

Inuyasha's ears twitched at her words. 'Feh, like the brat had any chance of hitting me.' Still he could not help the pride that bubbled up in his chest as he realized that Kagome didn't think he would have been hit either. Still, he continued to glare at the retreating kitsune, wishing for once that Kagome would allow him to be punished. It's not like he didn't deserve it!

Turning to face a sulking Inuyasha, Kagome sighed in exasperation before grabbing his arm and dragging him away from camp. They didn't go far before he couldn't contain himself any longer.

"How can you let him get away unpunished? Damn it, he could've hurt you!"

"But he didn't, because of you. I'm alright Inuyasha," she reassured him. "And I'm not letting him get away with anything. We will be having a serious discussion once tempers have cooled and he has had a chance to reflect on his actions."

"You're too soft. Brat needs a good thumping." He leaned towards her, scowling. "You gotta let me punish him this time or he won't learn."

A sad look settled on her face as she stared into the distance. "Haven't you ever done something you regretted? Something you wished you could take back?"

Inuyasha was struck first by the look on her face, then by her words as they touched something deep inside him. Regrets, yes he had plenty of them. Unable to speak, he merely nodded when she faced him.

"Then trust me when I say that Shippou is currently punishing himself worse than we ever could."

Inuyasha sighed as he thought it over. His ears picked up the renewed sobs from the kitsune in the distance and he knew she was at least partially correct. "Fine, we'll try it your way. Come on, brat's getting himself worked up again." He eyed her once more before leading her back to camp.

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><p>The next, and currently last (unless I get inspired by another prompt) part of this story is written. Just waiting for voting to finish up (which unfortunately can take a few weeks) before I can post it here.<p> 


	3. Accepting the Consequences

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

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><p>This was originally posted to Issekiwa on February 10, 2012 for Prompt #143 Pause or Paws. Tied for 2nd place.<p>

I didn't originally intend to write this piece but then I saw the prompt and decided I should show Shippou learning about the consequences of his actions. I know it's short but the prompt had a limit of 250 words. I thought about expanding it like I did the previous parts but decided it could stand as is.

Title: Accepting the Consequences

Author: ananova

Rating: K

Prompt: Pause or Paws (Issekiwa)

Genre: Friendship

Word Count: 248

Warnings: None

Summary: Alone in camp, Shippou considers breaking his punishment. Part of Painful Regrets.

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><p>Shippou glanced around the empty clearing before his eyes settled on the yellow bag sitting innocently against a tree. His paws itched to reach inside and grasp the candy he knew it contained. Candy he hadn't been allowed in days. Glancing around again, he saw no sign of anyone returning to camp yet.<p>

Slowly, he began to inch his way toward the bag. 'What's one treat?' he reasoned to himself. It seemed like months instead of days since he had any of the sugary treats. 'Nobody needs to know.' Within arm reach of the bag and the treats hidden within, he stopped. Kagome's disappointed face flashed before his eyes. His head dropped, then he shook it.

"No, I was bad," he whispered. "I don't deserve any treats." He never wanted to see that look on her face again. He turned back to his task of clearing a pit for the fire, without looking back at the bag.

From the tree they had paused behind on their return to camp, Kagome gave Inuyasha a knowing smile. "See? He knows he was wrong and he's accepting his punishment. Told you withholding treats and assigning chores would be punishment enough."

He snorted. "Alright, you were right. Kid can learn. Happy?" He had been so sure the kitsune wouldn't be able to resist the allure of the candy.

Re-entering camp, they were immediately greeted by a happy Shippou who remained none-the-wiser that his earlier actions had been witnessed.


	4. The Silver Lining

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

This was originally posted to Inuyasha Fanfiction on January 29, 2012 for drabble #15 Regret. Won 2nd place. I meant to have this up last week but real life got in the way. Barring any further inspiration, this is the last part of this story.

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><p>Title: The Silver Lining<br>Author: ananova  
>Word Count: 500<br>Prompt: Regret  
>Genre: FriendshipHurt/Comfort  
>Rating: T<br>Warnings: Minor bad language

Characters: Kagome, Inuyasha  
>Summary: Inuyasha confronts Kagome about her regrets. Follows Set the World on Fire and Ashes of Regret.<p>

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><p>He couldn't stop thinking about her words or the look on her face. What could Kagome possibly regret that would cause her so much pain? Time and time again he wondered, each time cringing at the thought that it might be being dragged to his time. She couldn't regret meeting him, could she?<p>

After a week, Inuyasha could take it no longer. He leaped down from the tree he had been perched in, crouching next to the miko sitting by the fire. They were the only ones awake, a common occurrence since their last "discussion". He had noticed her staying up late, staring into the fire, a pained look upon her face. "Kagome," he started. "Can I talk to you?"

She gave him a small smile. "Of course, you know I'll always listen if you want to talk."

Fidgeting, he sat beside her. "It's about last week."

Her smile slowly dropped. "You're not still mad at Shippou, are you?"

"Nah, brat's been punished and he has been behaving." A sigh escaped him. "No, I wanted to ask you about what you said. About regrets."

Kagome stiffened, looking away. "I'm sorry Inuyasha, I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."

"It's not about me wench. I-" Cutting himself off, he ran a hand through his hair before trying again. "Is it that you're here? Do you regret getting dragged through the well and meeting me?"

"What?" she gasped. "No! Never! I could never regret meeting you."

Inuyasha saw the emotion in her eyes and knew her words were true. "Then why have you been so sad, so hurt? I don't like seeing you that way," he admitted quietly.

Stunned by his admittance, Kagome knew she had to tell him the truth. "I could never regret meeting you," she started. "But, I do regret shattering the jewel. All of those lives lost, because of my mistake. Their blood is on my hands." She found herself unable to face him.

"That's bullshit!" Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "You didn't kill anyone! The youkai who found the shards did! Naraku did! Not you!"

"But-"

"No! Besides," now Inuyasha looked away. "I'm kinda glad you did. If you hadn't, I would have got my hands on it and made the worst mistake ever. Any wish on that jewel is tainted. I would have lost myself. And, I never would have gotten to know you or met the others." His eyes met hers. "That would have been the real tragedy."

"Inuyasha," she breathed, staring into his eyes.

"Come on, you should be sleeping. And no more taking blame that isn't yours, understand?"

With a small smile, Kagome allowed him to shuffle her off to bed, glad that she had such a good friend. While shattering the jewel was a tragedy, some good had indeed come of it.


End file.
